Should I bother getting a barrel kit?

Hello I'm fairly new to the sport and I was wondering if a barrel kit is worth investing in / what does a good paint to barrel match do for performance? My set up is a Etek 4 with a dye rotor and a 3000 48ci metal compressed air tank.

If you're looking to improve your accuracy, then a barrel kit will help... somewhat.

In your case, you're using an Etek 4. This is a moderate gun, and great for people wanting to progressively better at the game. Once you start getting better, your equipment will need to keep up with your performance. You will need to upgrade your tank to a carbon fiber 68/4500 tank (you can easily get them used for $100, saves some money for paint). Once you get all of your essential equipment upgraded, then you need to worry about your marker / barrel system. If you're getting the efficiency that you want, and you really like the Etek, then you should get a barrel system. There are a large variety of barrel systems available, but the best one for your money would have to be a Freak barrel kit. It comes will multiple inserts to give you a near-perfect bore matching for your paint, to optimize your barrel for the best performance possible.

But, my best advice, is to upgrade everything that you use with your marker, before you upgrade your marker and or barrel system.

Get a better tank before worry about barrel kit because:
Performance: PE etek4 stock barrel which is .689, 2 pieces barrel is perfect and top the line barrel for almost every paints out there.
Efficiency: the tank will take good care of it.
Accuracy: buy better paints, the accuracy will increase.

Is it worth investing in? In some cases, yes. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. I'd suggest moving to a carbon fiber 4500 psi tank. I like a 68 ci but whatever feels good to you will work. A barrel kit will let you match your paint to bore size better, increase efficiency and consistency a little bit, and help reduce the sound signature of your marker. A 4500 psi tank will hold more air, thus more shots per fill, and is lighter as well.

Not quite sure why all are pushing to upgrade your tank, but whatever. I'll be the odd man out and say yes to getting a kit. There are plenty of good/great sub- $100 kits and will do more for your game than a cf tank. That is, of course, assuming the paint being shot is round and a good match with your bore.

Not quite sure why all are pushing to upgrade your tank, but whatever. I'll be the odd man out and say yes to getting a kit. There are plenty of good/great sub- $100 kits and will do more for your game than a cf tank. That is, of course, assuming the paint being shot is round and a good match with your bore.

If he stays in the sport, he will want a bigger tank.

If he's only playing rec ball, why would he waste money on a barrel kit? Its got the shaft barrel already in .689. If anything he shouldn't buy either and spend the money on better paint to notice the difference in accuracy like he is wanting.

He will eventually need/want a bigger/nicer tank. That would be the best option right now if he "has'' to spend money.

While a "better" tank is desirable, he will get more out of a barrel kit at this point. Yes, good paint is very important too, but to get the most out of the marker he has, paint/bore match is paramount.

Of course, if paint around him is boring out around .689, then leave it be. Seems most paint is smaller these days. Everyones got their opinion though.

While a "better" tank is desirable, he will get more out of a barrel kit at this point. Yes, good paint is very important too, but to get the most out of the marker he has, paint/bore match is paramount.

Of course, if paint around him is boring out around .689, then leave it be. Seems most paint is smaller these days. Everyones got their opinion though.

If he's only playing rec ball, why would he waste money on a barrel kit? Its got the shaft barrel already in .689. If anything he shouldn't buy either and spend the money on better paint to notice the difference in accuracy like he is wanting.

He will eventually need/want a bigger/nicer tank. That would be the best option right now if he "has'' to spend money.

What's wrong with having a barrel kit if you only play red ball? Even playing rec ball your there to have fun, shoot people, and not get shot. There's nothing wrong with having good gear to help performance in even rec ball.

What's wrong with having a barrel kit if you only play red ball? Even playing rec ball your there to have fun, shoot people, and not get shot. There's nothing wrong with having good gear to help performance in even rec ball.

Rec ball is just that, fun. Often times you see people at the field w/ their barrel kits having more bad luck trying to get the correct size than having the correct size. Thus leading it to be not fun, constant cleaning out of gun if they underbore too much. It just more hassle than its worth when playing rec ball. Often times paint at rec fields isn't even worth trying to match.

Rec ball is just that, fun. Often times you see people at the field w/ their barrel kits having more bad luck trying to get the correct size than having the correct size. Thus leading it to be not fun, constant cleaning out of gun if they underbore too much. It just more hassle than its worth when playing rec ball. Often times paint at rec fields isn't even worth trying to match.

Then the people at your rec field don't have a clue what they're doing with their kits? Every time I went and played rec, never had any problems with my kit, and neither did any of the other people that had a kit on theirs.

A barrel kit is something I think everyone at some point should have (AND know how to properly use, not just throw in the .67~ bore and never change it). What kind is completely up to them.

At the same time, I think at this point he should go more for a quality CF tank IF his field(s) can properly fill it. If they can only fill to 3k, then there isn't much point in getting a 4.5.

Then the people at your rec field don't have a clue what they're doing with their kits? Every time I went and played rec, never had any problems with my kit, and neither did any of the other people that had a kit on theirs.

A barrel kit is something I think everyone at some point should have (AND know how to properly use, not just throw in the .67~ bore and never change it). What kind is completely up to them.

At the same time, I think at this point he should go more for a quality CF tank IF his field(s) can properly fill it. If they can only fill to 3k, then there isn't much point in getting a 4.5.

Rec ball paint isn't always that consistent... But ok, think what you want.

He's not playing in a tournament (right now) and probably not buying the high end paint when playing rec ball. All I'm saying is that if he bought a little better paint he might notice the accuracy edge he is looking for instead of by going with a barrel kit (he already has a great barrel system).

If he HAS to spend money, as in its burning a hole in his pocket and wants something paintball related he should upgrade his tank. If he didnt have a great hopper I'd say get one of those. I firmly believe gear is one thing that is more important than the marker. I believe in buying something and buying something only once until it breaks.

I was in your shoes before. If your going to play and want to get more shots per tank and more accurate shots with a adjustable inner bore barrel. IMO, the three best are...

Freak insert barrels- I play a Deadly Winds Fiber barrel. The standard aluminum freak barrel is a good barrel as well. I think this is the most common insert/barrel kit out there.

Luker Barrel- Longer inner bore helps with efficient shots on smaller sized air tanks. It's quieter than any barrel I've shot. However each barrel is sized and can't be adjusted.

Empire Sniper Barrel- Long inner bore that is simple and .05 incremental increases means you only have 3 inserts instead of 8 with the freak insert system. It's not a good looking as other barrels out there but is a two piece design so its simple to adjust.

I was rocking a etek2 with a cp 689 2 piece and my accuracy was off I thought of just buying a new gun for accuracy but I bought a barrel kit and my shots are straight through now. Ball on ball action. Invest in a barrel kit. Fps won't bounce because less movement of paintball in barrel. Good investment. Then again that's my two cents

Barrel kits in my perspective are a way of saying, "Ha, i have more selection then you." but in real terms they were made for the different sizes of paintballs. they really dont make .691-.693 or .679. generally the most common is .685-.689. If you just get your hands on one of those sizes you would be set. the .693 wouldnt even be used. Its for style. Hope that all made sense haha.

Also, you got a 3K tank, buy a CP .685-.689 one-peice or two-peice, either or and buy a tank. instead of buying a $125 barrel kit, spend up to $40 on a CP and the rest on a 68/45. Thats what i would do in your position.

i used to agree that barrel kits were worth the money. but now, in my opinion, it seems paint doesnt vary in size near as much as it use too. i think you'd be just as well off buying 1 barrel in a .684 size bore and be done with it. i have two complete barrel kits with multiple backs, and in the past 2 years havent used anything other than .682 or .684....so im really not getting much use out of my other 14 or so barrel backs.

so in the end, quality of paint will make a bigger improvement in accuracy, and the money could be spend on other things, like a nicer loader or tank.

pick up a .689 version of this barrel. It is, IMO, the best barrel on the market. I've owned pretty much every barrel kit to hit the market in the past decade and Furious really surprised me. $70 gets you a nice barrel that will match most of your rec ball paint and increase your efficiency. You will be able to turn the pressure down in your gun and the paint will still shoot through consistently due to the high polish inside the barrel bore. It also is self cleaning, so you can shoot through a break in the barrel (again, due to the super high polishing).

Bottom line is a barrel kit does nothing for accuracy. It only helps your efficiency and consistancy of the shot. The paint is what makes the accuracy. The more expensive paint is closer to a "perfect round" ball. The cheaper paint tends to come in somewhat of a football shape, making aerodynamics and consistent ballistics almost impossible. I suggest getting a decent barrel to help you with your game. You'll get a few more shots out of your steelie tank and not have to spend $200+ on a new tank.